Provision of free food waste liners in Scottish Borders to end

Scottish Borders Council says it is bringing to an end 10 years of free provision of food waste bin liners.

The local authority said it delivered about 936,000 liners every year, but doing this was no longer affordable.

It said the change would apply once its current supply ran out around the end of this month.

The council said alternatives included putting waste into food caddies without using a liner, or lining the bins with newspapers or unused bread bags.

Scottish Borders Council said liners, which could be composted, were also available to buy locally and online.

It said the move would bring it line with other local authorities.

Councillor Jenny Linehan said: "While the food waste service is a statutory requirement for us to provide in communities over a certain size, providing the caddy liners is not and there are a number of low or no-cost alternative options available to households that receive the food waste service.

"Recycling food waste removes this from general waste bins, helps protect the environment and saves resources and can be turned into renewable energy and nutrient-rich compost."

She added: "We'd like to thank residents who recycle their food waste and would encourage those in our collection areas who don't yet to start now."

The local authority said its food waste service could take all cooked and uncooked foods including meat and bones, fish, rice, pasta, fruit and vegetables.

All food should be removed from its packaging.